Clubs up and down the country have struggled with the new laws, and as many if not more scrums than before have tended to collapse.

Golding, however, while admitting there have been teething problems, said he thinks players will not take too much longer to settle into the swing of things.

He said: "It has made people change their style, because you cannot rely on that big first up hit so much any more.

"So it then becomes much more of a contest based around strength, skill and technique.

"That is a bit of a leveller if anything.

"I have enjoyed the change, and it is another big challenge for all of us front-rowers to face.

"However, I love a challenge and have loved getting to grips with the new rules."

The Falcons pack has been scrutinised all season, with many criticising a lack of physicality early on.

Golding, however, said criticism stung a proud bunch of forwards into action to ensure such negative talk became a thing of the past.

He added: "Some of that criticism was justified, but a lot of it was not.

"We certainly wanted to prove a lot of people wrong about us as a unit.

"To my mind we have done that now, but that does not mean anything because we are still very much at the wrong end of the league.

"Our home form has been fantastic, so we are just searching for the way to replicate that away from Kingston Park.

"We have just lost out in a number of close contests, and what we are aiming to do is make sure it is us who are edging out those matches.

"A lot of fixtures at this level are won and lost by little things, small margins.

"We feel like we can more than improve on what has gone this season.

"The best way to improve on our position is to improve our away form, so that is a huge aim for next season."

Golding went on: "We all feel we have the quality in the squad to win things, especially as the younger guys like myself gain more experience and become more accustomed to playing in the crunch matches.

"As we develop as a squad I am sure we will improve a great deal, and it is going to be an exciting time around Kingston Park."

Golding said the recruitment of key senior professionals like Joe McDonnell had increased competition among the pack - and with it increased performance levels.

He said: "Everything revolves around competition, whether within your own club in training or on match day itself.

"It is fantastic to learn from and compete with players like Joe, Russell Winter and Mark Sorenson."